Investigating the Relationship Between Individual and Environmental Characteristics and the Enhancement of Creativity Among Architecture Students: A Case Study of Schools of Architecture in Isfahan

Rahravi Poodeh, Sanaz

doi:10.22034/ats.2026.2092759.1039

Investigating the Relationship Between Individual and Environmental Characteristics and the Enhancement of Creativity Among Architecture Students: A Case Study of Schools of Architecture in Isfahan

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Sanaz Rahravi Poodeh

Department of Architecture, Architecture, Urban Planning and Tourism Research Center, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22034/ats.2026.2092759.1039

Abstract

Creativity is widely recognized as one of the core competencies required for architectural education and professional practice. Architectural design requires the integration of analytical thinking, aesthetic judgment, problem-solving ability, and innovation. Consequently, fostering creativity has become a major objective of architectural education. Contemporary research suggests that creativity results from the interaction between personal characteristics and environmental conditions rather than from innate ability alone. Previous studies have approached creativity from three principal perspectives. Psychological research has emphasized personality traits such as perseverance, risk-taking, and tolerance of ambiguity. Educational studies have focused on teaching strategies and design pedagogy, while environmental research has examined the contribution of physical settings, including spatial organization, natural lighting, vegetation, and color. Because student populations differed across institutions, quota sampling was employed to ensure proportional representation of each faculty. Participants within each quota were selected using convenience sampling, resulting in 254 valid questionnaires, consistent with the sample size recommended by the Krejcie and Morgan table. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire designed through a comprehensive review of previous studies on creativity, architectural education, environmental psychology, and spatial quality. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographic characteristics; individual characteristics, including perseverance, risk-taking, and tolerance of ambiguity; and environmental characteristics, including natural lighting, vegetation, flowing water, spatial openness, and color preferences. Content validity was established through expert review by five academic specialists in architecture and environmental design. Their recommendations were incorporated into the final instrument. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients, all of which exceeded acceptable levels, indicating satisfactory reliability. Prior to inferential analyses, the assumptions required for parametric statistical tests were examined and confirmed. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics and study variables. Pearson correlation analysis examined relationships between creativity and personality characteristics, while multiple linear regressions determined the relative contribution of personality variables to creativity. One-sample t-tests evaluated students' perceptions of environmental components associated with creativity.This study contributes to creativity research in architectural education by integrating psychological and environmental perspectives within a single empirical framework. Unlike previous studies that have examined either personality characteristics or environmental qualities separately, the present research simultaneously investigated both dimensions among architecture students. The findings indicate that perseverance and risk-taking are positively associated with creativity and represent important personal characteristics related to creative performance in architectural education. Students consistently perceived natural daylight, vegetation, and flowing water as the environmental characteristics most strongly associated with creative learning experiences. Similarly, differences observed across color preference groups suggest that visual characteristics of educational spaces deserve greater attention in architectural studio design. Nevertheless, these findings should be interpreted as statistical associations rather than direct environmental influences on creativity. From a practical perspective, the findings suggest that improving architectural education requires simultaneous attention to students' individual development and the quality of educational environments. Educational planners and university administrators may therefore benefit from designing studio environments enriched with natural elements while adopting educational approaches that encourage perseverance, exploration, and constructive risk-taking. Several limitations should be acknowledged.

Keywords

Creativity enhancement'

' Environmental factors'

' Non-environmental factors'

' Individual characteristics'

' Architecture schools of Isfahan'

Subjects

Interdisciplinary Studies in Architecture

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